Monsanto Painting by Amie Ziner

At the Ansonia Nature Center, I got to meet a talented artist name, Amie Ziner. In her painting, she has a powerful message going against Monsantos. Who is Monsantos? Monsanto is a multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation based in the United States. They are the world’s leading producer of Roundup®, a herbicide with the active ingredient glyphosate.

Monsanto is also the largest producer of genetically engineered (GE) seeds on the planet, accounting for over 90% of the GE seeds planted globally in 2003. Monsanto introduced a genetically modified product (Roundup Ready Soybeans) that were resistant to Roundup. The first crops introduced were soybeans, followed by corn in 1998. “Roundup Ready” crops greatly improved a farmer’s ability to control weeds, since glyphosate could be sprayed in the fields without harming their crops.

Roundup Kills Everything except the genetically engineered crop. The seeds are engineered to resist the Roundup herbicide and further, the toxic (weed killing) residue of Glyphosate remains on the Roundup Ready seeds are genetically modified to withstand the herbicide toxicity. This is also the primary purpose of ALL genetically modified seeds, to resist pest’s – drought – and most importantly pesticide and herbicide.

When these crops are harvested, they contain high levels of glyphosate and it doesn’t just go away. Millions of gallons of this have been sprayed all across the U.S. – for years! Corn crops are treated this way too. The Corn is fed to animals, used in cereal and many other products… in fact, you probably know that corn products are in 75% of the things you buy at the grocery store and all of these products have traces of herbicide.

In addition, because weeds are pretty “smart” – the ones that used to die from the RoundUp herbicide treatments don’t die anymore. They have adapted and become tolerant of the product that used to kill them. Sources confirm that as many as 20 new types of weeds nicknamed “SuperWeeds” have been found growing in GMO crop sites.

Throughout its history, Monsanto has developed chemical products which have eventually become controversial or been banned, including DDT, Agent Orange, Bovine Growth Hormone, and PCBs.

Source- http://whoismonsanto.com

After the earthquake, Haitian farmers received seeds from Monsanto and protested the poisonous and expensive strings that came attached to the gift from the GMO food giant. They were burning the seeds. People questioned why would the poorest nation in the Western hemisphere that had recently been rattled by a devastating earthquake protest the gift of seed? The seeds were destroying their lands. The farmers who did give in to planting the seeds found unsuccessful results. They lost crops and income and it also damaged their farm lands.

Monsanto is also one of the causes of the bees declining. Bees can be acutely poisoned while flying through pesticide-contaminated planter dust in a recently planted corn field; or chronically poisoned at sub-lethal levels by eating and drinking contaminated pollen, nectar and/or water over time. (Neonics are water soluble and persist for months in the environment.) Bees are then more likely to get sick, less able to forage effectively, and so on.

In her painting, ​Amie Ziner shows how Monsanto is affecting​ the insects, nature and our children.

"CHEMICAL LOVE"

"BAYER BABY"

"ROUNDUP REGICIDE"- "MONSANTO CORN MAIDEN"

"HUGH AND CRY"
Hugh Grant CEO of Monsanto

Thank you for checking out my post. I hope you​ were able to gain something from it.